~eft. '.Anfw. , ./ AH ExpojitiPN, ,Pit/, Notes you will r~y, HDW lhall we do to ripenour .afeHtS to fuch ap.er– fettion ? What are thofe proper medinms,.or arguments, by which '--:- ( next to the infallible perfwa~on of the Spirit) the Soul is ai!ure~ that the Gofpel is aWord of Tr»th? . This ~efiion is worth anfwering at a1Lt-im€s, becauCe Afheifm ·is fo natural to us ; if there were none in ~he -world, yet ·there is ·too much of the Atheift in our own bofoms: But in thefe times e_fpecial.ly., the reigning fin being A;beifmand Sc~pticifmin matters of ReligtOn, occafioned partly by corrupt - ~nd blafphemous ·.DG· chines, which have a marvellous compliance with our thoughts..; ~partly by the fad divifions among the people of God, every one 'pretending to be in the right, we fnfpect all.; thel'eforeChrifi :,prayed for unity in the Church upon this argument, That the 'Wsrld .maJ·k..now th~tt thfJ1S haft font me, fiJh. 17. 23. · When there a~e Divi(ions in the Church, ufually there is Atheifm in theWorld.: :Partly by the Scandals and Villanies committed.under apretepceof ~Religion, by which Chriil: i~, as it were, def}yed, TitiU I. I6. and ~ain, Crucified, a11d-p11-t to an epenfoame, Heb. 6. 6. that is, ~x:.. ;·pofed to the derifion and fcorn of his ,Ene~es, and reprefenced as a· Malefactor: Now;·if ever, then is it nee~ful to ba.llaft themiode 'With folid and rational grounds, and to efl:ablifh ·;you in the pely faith. Many A,.rgumentsare urged··by the Fathers and the Sckoo/.. -·mm in·beha:lf of ·che-Gofpd; butI have always .pr-eferred the Ar.. :guments bf the ' Fathers, as -of Latlanti~H, "'T.er,tullit~:n,- !uftiHe Martyr , · Cyril;e!J:c. <>before; thqfe of-the S~hpolmet;J, as · being ·more praCtical aP!d natural,and·fo havil)g a.greater and a mor<:_ coo• ~antawe·upon the ~on.f-dence.; whereas thofe of the S(iho9l-m,en (who q1:1e£lionlefs were the worfer men) are more fubtle and Jpe- ·<ulative-,-'.lnd-folefs .:_tpt ~o be undedlood, and are not fo .always .,pretooc:with'the Soul-, as the other.are•tpat .are founded inP,taClical ;f.niths~ If/;~iidly• then -you· maY, ;know·the '·Gqfpel ,to 'be ·a ·Word ..d 'Truth:: 't>e£a~fewhat.e.\rer :is excellent in·aReligion, is in an un· -<Patalleld rila$fter·feul'la in~ur. l\eligion, or in the.·Doctrine of thi --Go:fpd:'f1'h~ ·glo,:y-'ofa ·R,eligion ljeth in'three things ,- Tho exr:ell~n·cy-Df!'Re?Varaj,'• lthe:ptti-it] of Precep_ts, an~ thefur,enefl of :J!_Y-incf~{et_:I{Jf!rufl:_J-~~· ex~~ne,·th~ :G~fpel . by- thefe ~qi~s, and fcl!-tfi•tt•tah:&matcliei:hlfewhere. '- •· --- -~ · · ·. f. The excellency of Rewards r'-lhis ~~ one:of the cbiefeft per-· :'fe.~i~~~ ~f ~ ~eligiq~ p ·!e~~~~~ ~~~ Apom~ .propofec~ i~ ... ,a _ , ~ :pnncl~~
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